Sara Phillips understands the pressure of state championship softball.

The Hewitt-Trussville senior has played in the past four Class 7A state championships with the Huskies, winning three titles since Phillips moved to the state from Indiana in 2020.

The 2024 championship was special.

“I think that we were just closer as a team,” Phillips said of this season’s championship. “There was also the fact that I had to be more of a leader and more of a bigger part of the team because I was a senior.”

Phillips was selected the 2024 Birmingham News softball Player of the Year from the Terrific 22, released on Wednesday. Thompson’s Kelsey Burden is Newcomer of the Year and Hewitt-Trussville’s Taylor Burt is Coach of the Year.